I'm debating the pros and cons of making a decent, solid lock system to secure the rudder, when on a swing mooring. I have just replaced the rudder bearings and I'm keen to ensure they stay nice and tight. The bearing are Jeffa spherical with roller bearing elements, on a stainless shaft. My boat has the rudder stock protruding from the deck, under a lift up hatch. The top of the shaft terminates in a 25mm milled square. The plan is to use 25 x 6 flat to form square socket, 4 pieces tig welded together, then attaching the top end of this to stainless cross head, that nestles into the hatch channels. So it would be a quick lift off device, but solid to avoid repeated movement of the entire steering gear.
Is it a good idea to lock the rudder, to reduce movement?
Has anyone else bothered to do something similar with success, just curious?

cheers Richard

it's a must to secure your rudder to stop it flogging around, just the same as you wouldn't leave your boom swinging about. Tie off your tiller / wheel fore sure

If it is wheel steering, why don't you just lock up the wheel nut? The quadrant is attached to the rudder shaft which is the same a attaching any other locking bar to the shaft.

Yes, both, securing the boom and the rudder - in my case, the tiller - in position is paramount.
The boom (on my ex 28) was tied down in position or dropped on the top of the cabin and tied down when l left the boat. A boom-crotch is another option.
The tiller was also secured in the mid position, by rings cut from an inner tube, to the gunwales.
This way the movement of the boom is non-existent and the rudder movement is minimal, thou flexible. It helps the bushes/bearings and goose-neck last 'forever'.

Thanks for the replies, I'll get the TIG out and craft something up. Jode I have a wheel brake, but it is not that effective and I now lash the wheel, but that is a nuisance with access. My wheel is a single central mount and is folding. Also I like the idea of locking off ahead of the steering gear, in my case quadrant , rod, then a semi circular rack and pinion to a chain drive. I figure if I take outa the
stress of this gear, it would be better.
thank you Richard

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Stockie said..
Thanks for the replies, I'll get the TIG out and craft something up. Jode I have a wheel brake, but it is not that effective and I now lash the wheel, but that is a nuisance with access. My wheel is a single central mount and is folding. Also I like the idea of locking off ahead of the steering gear, in my case quadrant , rod, then a semi circular rack and pinion to a chain drive. I figure if I take outa the
stress of this gear, it would be better.
thank you Richard

Is it a Jefa pedestal? We had the same problem. Not hard to strip it down, figured it needed a new brake plate which can be bought from Jefa but we ended up making up our own new brake plate and it works fine now.

www.jefa.com/ftp/steering/maintenance_guides/Rack%26Pinion/RP150%20complete%20part%20list.PDF

Not sure what brand my pedestal is but it has a piece of Teflon much the same shape and size as a teak plug. This screws in and puts pressure on the shaft to lock. If the Teflon is worn it is to short to lock.
You can see the screw on the left side of the pedestal

My steering gear is Lewmar, Bavaria changed to complete Jeffa cable set ups after the 2006-7 Cruiser 37,s
i like the engineering of the rack and pinion with a rod link to the rudder quadrant, seems pretty bullet proof. But like all mechanical things, constant motion is going to cause wear, especially jiggling back and forth. I was on the boat last night and I have worked out I could make a slip over device that will lock the rudder shaft to the top bearing, easy to access on my boat.
cheersRichard

Well I finally finished the rudder lock project, the square on the top of my rudder shaft is slightly larger than 25mm, which I unwittingly made the lock to, so a bit of filing was required.
works well and is pretty discrete. I just have to remember to remove it before releasing the mooring ropes!